... funny things are everywhere

so many things

... to be grateful for:

• spring in the air...
After last week's late season snow storm, I'm happy for warmer weather and the prospect of being a tennis mom at an outdoor tennis tournament this weekend.

• good friends at work...
My buddy, Randy, has been a close friend since my first day as a reviewer in the department. It's been awesome to have a mentor in my current group... and also to have someone who has my back. He's the number one reason I haven't had a complete meltdown when things get crazy.

• close knit extended family...
Through good times and tougher times, we look out for one another. Thinking of someone very special today and hoping for good news.

• best Broad friends...
I'm really looking forward to hanging with my BFFs in July. Saskatoon, here I come!

• field trip mama...
Tuesday's trip to the Science and Tech Museum probably put me near the 20 mark in the "field trips survived" category. There should be a medal if bravery for that, right? I have to admit I loved having a chance to see James with his new friends... like watching a wild animal in its natural habitat. :)

the list

Oops, I forgot the list... here's one for Mundane Monday:

5 things we do over and over again, week after week

1) buy groceries to satisfy the appetite of growing boys... usually takes more than one grocery run a week;
2) drive kids to squash and tennis lessons, matchplays and tournaments;
3) lecture the kids on the importance of punctuality and how being late without caring is disrespectful of the other parties affected, whether it be coaches, other players, teachers, classmates, coworkers or friends;
4) do laundry, way more often than other families might because we have workout gear, dog-walking clothes (that often have other dogs' dirty paw prints or slobbery goobers on them) on top of the usual linens, pajamas and work/school clothes; and
5) take pictures to share on facebook - always on my to do list as I attempt to keep in touch with family members around the world.

sick of being sick

So I've been sick with a low grade something or another for more than two weeks now. No matter what I do (sleep, eat well, drink fluids, rest, exercise, eat less, teach spin, don't teach spin...), I cannot seem to shake this stupid thing. Viral infection, you suck!

In the meantime, I've been feeling foggy-brained, and my productivity at work has hit a new low. (How many times do I have to reread the instructions for submission of papers to that online journal? Or are there no specific instructions for the type of paper we are trying to write?) Seriously, procrastination and ADHD have nothing on this lingering head cold.

.....

I wouldn't normally obsess about being sick, except I'm starting to worry that I'll never feel well again. I wake up at night feeling thirsty (dry throat from being sick? maybe...), and I'm worried that my excessive thirst is a symptom of Type 2 diabetes (well, I have been eating a bit too much in the way of chocolate, cookies and other processed carbs lately)... I am overtired and irrational because it's 3:00 am, so I read some info on the Canadian Diabetes Association website, and I click through to a self-assessment questionnaire on the Public Health Agency of Canada's website. After making up some scary high numbers for my weight and waist measurement (things I have not, in fact, measured lately), I find myself at low risk for being pre-diabetic or diabetic, but I resolve to take better care of myself as a drift back to sleep.

......

There are days when I'm certain I'm going crazy. I wonder what I'd be like if I ever did get really sick. I'm sure my family would be tempted to disown me out of sheer exasperation.

.....

So I've decided to start running again. I'm tired of waiting for my Achilles' tendon to heal. It's almost there, and the pain is manageable during and after my runs, so I'm just going to go with it. The plan is to take it easy, limit the distance and maybe even train for a race. I'm thinking a sub-27-minute 5-km is a challenging yet obtainable goal for me.

So here I go. New shoes. New running season.

5x5 Friday (take 4)

Am I the only one with kids who HATE cleaning up their rooms? I thought not.

.....

Five favourite comic strips (past and present)
1. Calvin and Hobbes
2. Far Side
3. For Better or For Worse
4. Dilbert
5. Baby Blues

Five songs that take me back to junior high
1. Electric Avenue - Eddie Grant
2. I Wear my Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
3. Crying over You - Platinum Blonde
4. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
5. Freeze Frame - The J Geils Band

Five reasons I can't wait for summer
1. I can just hop out of bed, put sandals on and walk the dog.
2. I hate wearing all these layers, mittens, etc.
3. It'll probably be summer before I see my mom and dad again.
4. We can hit tennis balls on the public courts after dinner.
5. I want to have lunch on an outdoor patio.

A not so random sample of five people I follow on twitter
1. @si_btbaseline (Sports Illustrated tennis blogger)
2. @FitMomBarrhaven (Katie: personal trainer)
3. @cbcottawa (for all the latest local news)
4. @sweatscience (Runner's World columnist)
5. @CathyZielske (scrapbooker extraordinaire)

Five staples at the grocery store
1. frozen waffles
2. milk (1% in 4L bags)
3. bananas
4. flavoured silken tofu
5. apples

 

5x5 Friday (take 3)

Here we are again. Friday. YAY! Here's a late-night edition of 5x5.

Five things I miss about Nova Scotia
1. my mom, dad and sister
2. the friendly folks
3. the ocean
4. the beer
5. the good ol' days

Five things I should be doing instead of blogging
1. getting ready for bed
2. folding laundry
3. drinking the cup of tea I left downstairs
4. taking my contact lenses out
5. replying to email

Five things we have planned this weekend
1. tennis tournament for James
2. school project for Thomas
3. dinner at John's place
4. birthday party for James' friend (see card above)
5. doggy playdate for Lemon

Five things I'm looking foward to this spring
1. travelling with James to a few tennis tournaments
2. playing tennis outside again
3. running along the Ottawa River at lunchtime
4. riding bikes with the boys
5. wearing skirts and dresses again

Five things I bought today
1. coffee
2. display board for Thomas' school project 
3. glue sticks
4. dog food
5. pretty pendant and silver chain 

5x5 Friday (take 2)

Five things I do every single day
1. Brush my teeth. Twice a day.
2. Drink coffee.
3. Check my email.
4. Worry.
5. Laugh.

Five things I do that I probably shouldn't
1. Procrastinate.
2. Drink too much coffee.
3. Check my email obsessively.
4. Worry.
5. Lose my temper.

The last five stores I shopped at
1. Bulk Barn
2. Loblaws
3. Metro
4. Gap
5. Old Navy

The last five people I sent non-work emails to
1. A tennis dad, trying to set up a match for James.
2. The organizer of this Sunday's squash tournament.
3. The fitness director at the OAC, re: spin classes.
4. Customer service at BOGS, winter boot maunfacturer.
5. Fellow school council members.

Five foods I'm craving right now
1. Pizza with tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives & red onions.
2. Chocolate anything.
3. Watermelon. Very cold.
4. Chinese vegetable dumplings in noodle soup.
5. Crepes with whipped cream, fresh fruit and chocolate sauce.

5x5 Friday

* Lemon, 10 months old

.....

TGIF! It's finally Friday! To mark the occasion, such that it is, here are five random lists of five things.

Five things I'd do if I had a day all to myself:
1. sleep in
2. take a tennis lesson
3. go for a massage
4. get my hair cut
5. meet a friend or two at Starbucks

Five reasons I love having a dog:
1. she's always happy and makes me happy too
2. Thomas loves playing with her
3. the boys are developing a sense of responsibility
4. we've met lots of other dog owners in the neighbourhood
5. walking is a nice way to start the day, even when it's cold out

Five TV shows I'd like to watch with the kids:
1. Star Trek: TNG
2. Big Bang Theory
3. Glee (with James... eventually)
4. The Simpsons (just a select few)
5. Babylon 5

Five songs purchased recently on iTunes:
1. 99 Red Balloons - Nena
2. Without You - David Guetta
3. What the Hell - Avril Lavigne
4. Mrs. Robinson - The Lemonheads
5. Raise a Little Hell - Trooper

Five things on my To Bake list:
1. chocolate chip cookies
2. banana muffins
3. lemon squares (never tried before!)
4. mini brownie cheesecakes
5. cupcakes (for Valentine's Day)

 

snapshot of a nine year old

James - October 2011

.....

Loves: tennis, Star Trek (especially Mr. Spock), Lego, riding his bike to school, playing soccer at recess, reading, Harry Potter, raspberries, fruit creme cookies

Hates: taking a shower, being reminded to flush the toilet and/or wash his hands, bananas

Last book he finished reading: probably some Bad Kitty book that Thomas lent him; before that, The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

If he could spend all day doing anything: (just guessing here...) play Wii or watch back-to-back episodes of the original Star Trek series

On his To Do list this weekend: school project on an animal habitat; he's chosen to study a coral reef. :)

5x5 on Friday

One thing I miss posting here... my random lists of random things. So I'm going to remedy that by posting five lists of five things today.

.....

5 things on my To Do list:

• wash and fold at least two loads of laundry
• bake banana muffins with the very spotty bananas I set aside
• run on the treadmill while James is at his tennis lesson
• gather a few unwanted items to donate to charity event
• make some pages for my mom and dad's gift album

.....

5 charities our family will give to this holiday season

• Gloucester Food Cupboard via the boys' school
• the building fund for the preschool/daycare my boys used to go to
• Toy Mountain via the Ottawa Athletic Club (where I teach and the boys play squash and tennis)
• Snowsuit Fund
• other organizations, as chosen by the boys

.....

5 gifts I wish I could give this year

• a trip home for me and my sister in CA so we could visit with our parents and other sister
• increased self-confidence to my 8 year old
• increased self-control to my 10 year old
• a spa and shopping weekend for me and my BFF broads
• a neat, tidy and organized home for my family *sigh*

.....

5 additional layout ideas for my parents' gift album:

• personality page for Thomas, using school photo
• personality page for James, using his school photo
• beach photos from NS trip
• Santa visit 2010 (photo not yet taken)
• boys playing with Lego

.....

5 goals for 2011

• take more spin classes
• improve my serve & volleys so I can play tennis instead of just taking lessons
• complete another Layout a Week challenge with my friend, Nathalie
• try new recipes and involve the boys in cooking
• set date nights with Mike

.....

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE making lists? :)

Oh, one more thing... I've already done one thing on my To Do list for today. Here's a quick gift album layout I made this morning.

Thanks for dropping by to visit. Have a great weekend, my friends!

it's finally Friday

It's been a long week, with lots going on. There was not much routine and lots of extra things to squeeze in. I'm not complaining, but let's just say that I'm glad Friday is here. Finally. :)

I'm wondering if I'm the only one who has the feeling of wondering how it could possibly be November already. It just doesn't seem like that long ago since I had to adjust to not writing 200_ on my cheques, ya know. At this rate, it'll be Christmas before I know it... and then I'll have to get used to writing 2011 on everything.

.....

I made this for a friend who has gone through a very difficult time in the past couple of years. It was therapeutic, playing with paper and glue, as I reflected on her situation. I admire the strength, courage and compassion she's shown, given her circumstances. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is.

.....

So yes, it's Friday. Here's my 5 on Friday list. It's a To Do list for today.

1. Laundry. Because I could never possibly keep up with it all.
2. Groceries. Because we are out of almost everything. Those boys eat a LOT.
3. Teach. Because that's what I've been doing almost every Friday since the spring. It's a 40 minute cardio class, and the participants are some of the nicest I've met in all my years of teaching.
4. Hit. Because I have a tennis lesson booked. For me.
5. Drive. Because the boys have their group lessons on Fridays.

.....

I know. I know. Chin up. Hang in there. Get some sleep. Don't think too much. Hit some balls. Enjoy the weekend.

:)